Faithful Innocence
by taiyoukai-kai
Summary: Years after Kagome left the Feudal Era, she never expects have anything but memories left. But tragedy strikes, and she’s had to live a life of sorrow and betrayal. Now, a new development threatens her very sanity. Again. [SessKag]
1. Prologue Chapter One

**F A I T H F U L ~ I N N O C E N C E**

**Author: taiyoukai-kai**

**Comments: This is not the sequel to my last fanfic "Fukai Mori: Darkness" but, I hope you enjoy it just as much. **

**Recently I had an encounter with someone who posted some chapters of the fanfic without my permission. I really can't do anything about those who do this, but it insults my intelligence when you don't even bother to change the story's name. Really. I'm not that stupid. Please respect that I spent time and effort to write these stories and would like them to stay mine. If you want a story write one your own. Please. That being said and done, ON WITH THE STORY!**

**Disclaimer: Fear his claws…because I don't own him. Characters © Rumiko Takahashi. **

**Summary: Kagome has returned to her time after a tragic last battle with Naraku where Inuyasha died, and Kagome, barely saved. Five years later, she can run from the past no longer. But she wasn't the same naïve girl of the past either. [Sess/Kag]**

**Prologue...:**

She knelt in the powdery snow and laid a small bouquet of flowers down before the gravestone. By rights, she should have been dead, too. But something had saved her. She shook her head mirthlessly. No, not something. _Someone_.

She slowly got to her feet and stared down at the grave. The gravestone was worn and dirty. The name was barely visible under the thick vines that grew over it. She briskly tore them off and hesitantly traced the crudely worn engraved name. 

_"Inuyasha, a beloved friend. May you rest in peace."_

It was only yesterday that she buried him, yet ironically, the stone and the grave were already in great disrepair. She shouldn't have been surprised. After all, it _was_ a few centuries ago when she buried him. Technically.

She dropped her hand back to her side, and stared down at the grave. She felt strange, knowing that she never shed a tear at his death. Even though she had believed she loved him and that the last word he ever spoke, while lying in her arms, was his former lover's name, _she never shed a tear_. Not even when she hurt. Inside.

She brought a hand to touch her cheeks. And, even as she stood here now, sorrow a living pulse inside her chest, she did not cry.

She realized now, that she never really loved him. Not as a lover. But he was a good friend, even if a bit unorthodox.

She smiled an achingly sad smile and wondered how she could smile in a time like this. At a place like this. But she couldn't stop and she was happy that if she couldn't have him alive, she could at least have the memory of him. Forever.

A yell echoed to her and she turned to look.

"Onee-chan!" Sota called out as he ran. She waved and looked on in amusement. He came to a stop and rested his hands on his knees, to catch his breath. "Onee-chan, Mom says it's time to leave so…" His voice trailed off when he spotted whose gravestone it was. He turned wide eyes to his sister. "Onee-chan…"

Kagome smiled and ruffled his hair. "Its okay." She gave him one last pat on the head and walked off in the direction Sota came, not once looking back.

Sota stood there, his eyes on his sister's retreating back. He glanced back at Inuyasha's grave. "Why did you have to die?" he whispered. "Why did you do that to onee-chan?" He waited for an aching moment as if waiting for an answer. He turned to run after Kagome.

**Chapter One...:**

"Really, Higurashi-san. You must concentrate." The instructor scolded his best student. 

Kagome wiped an arm across her brow and lifted her bow again. Setting the arrow on the strings, she drew back. Sweat ran down the side of her face. She closed an eye as it blurred, to clear it. She opened it again and concentrated on the target. Finally, she let it go, the arrow whizzing through the air.

As the arrow made a muffled thud, she knew instinctively that she had missed he bull's eye yet again. The disappointment and stress caught up with her suddenly and she began coughing, her lungs on fire. [no, it is not SARS] It soon intensified and she bent over with the force of her dry coughs. The bow dropped out of her lax hands and clattered to the wooden floor.

The instructor walked over, and waited for Kagome to stop coughing. When Kagome lifted her head, the instructor smiled thinly and patted her on the back. "It is alright, Higurashi-san. Go home and rest. Tomorrow, come an hour early and we will practice."

Kagome nodded apologetically and the instructor walked away, yelling at a student to straighten his stance.

She softly picked up her bow and padded off to change. 

She eased open the door and propped her bow on the lockers. As she opened hers, she caught her image in the mirror she attached to the inside door of her locker. She knew she should have taken it down. She used her fingers to feel the scar that ran up and down her left cheek, just missing her eye. Watched them hide the pale scar in the mirror.

The door opened behind her, and she whirled around, her scar forgotten. But it was only another student.

She spotted Kagome and smiled politely. "The sensei wants to talk to you."

Kagome nodded her assent and the student closed the door. She quickly dressed and went to find the instructor. 

He looked up from his desk when Kagome found him. "Ah, Higurashi-san. Please," he gestured with a hand toward the two chairs in front of him. "Have a seat."

Kagome gave a short bow and chose the left seat. She sat down. The instructor leaned closer, his hands steepled. "As you may know, there is a national competition coming up soon." Kagome nodded her assent. "Yes, and how are you feeling?"

Kagome felt her stomach drop. Was he going to bar her from the competitions? Only she knew how many people denied her a chance. She smiled thinly. "I'm fine, thank you."

The instructor looked at her for a minute, his face a mask of impenetrability and almost false concern. He sighed and leaned back in his chair. "As you may have realized already, I had considered _asking_ you to…take a break. You know. Because of your…injuries."

Kagome lost her smile and waited for him to continue. "But you are my best archer, and I can ill afford for you to not be there."

Kagome didn't blink. The instructor smiled grimly. "I'm letting you go, but," he lifted a finger imperiously. "If your injuries act up…" He snapped his fingers. "You're out." Kagome nodded, her face emotionless. 

He grunted and waved a hand at her. "Dismissed."

She rose from her seat and bowed, although he had clearly turned his attention from her. In the locker room, she gathered her belongings. She grimaced grimly at her sensei's words. Her injuries. If she thought about it hard enough, she could still remember the pain, the fear. She had been even more scared then, than when she was fighting cold-blooded youkais in the feudal era. 

She walked briskly down the hall and slid the door open. Her shoes on, she began her walk home. She didn't know why she had decided to join the archery team. She had just felt that she needed to prove to somebody that she was still able. To somebody.

It actually didn't matter to her anymore. Her life was a mess, and has been for some time now. Her mother died five years ago, six days after she graduated from high school. Her grandpa, well, has been dead for a long, long time. Her brother, Sota, was in his rebellious stage and completely uncontrollable. And to add to that, she was physically maimed. Deformed. Marred. She wasn't really crippled or anything.

Just injured enough to affect her aim. 

And everything else.

She walked slower, her thoughts completely occupying her mind. Sota probably wasn't even home, yet. She never had the energy or the will to curb his immaturity anymore. Ever since their mother died. He probably blamed her for her death. Perhaps it was her fault.

A hand settled on her shoulder, startling her from her thoughts. As his face came into focus, she groaned.

"Hojo-kun?"

He smiled. "Kagome, long time no——." He abruptly stopped and she knew why. They all did. Always. His mouth worked soundlessly.

"See?" She completed his sentence for him. "Yeah, it _has_ been awhile, neh?"

He exhaled heavily. "Jesus, what happened to your face."

She gave a cold laugh. "Would you believe me if I said I fell down a very long staircase?"

He slowly shook his head. His eyes darted from place to place, avoiding her face. She shrugged his hand off, and resumed her walk. After so many years of him doing so many nice things to her when she was "sick" didn't prepare for the time when she was finally disfigured enough to repel even him. She couldn't stand to see the disgust and shock in his eyes. They _all_ had that look. Sometimes, she wondered if she would meet somebody who wouldn't. She doubted it.

Hojo didn't go after her.

* * *

She felt the scars pull tight as she pulled the arrow back. The pain was a sudden stab, but she ignored it. The scars always hurt. So she learned to put the pain away. To lock it away until she could handle it. In private.

She released the arrow with a soft grunt of effort and watched as the arrow struck the target. The judge leaned in to see and yelled out it was a bull's eye. The team erupted in cheers, the tension that had moments before hung about the air so heavily, suddenly vanished. Even the sensei was grinning.

"Good work, Higurashi-san." He slapped her on her back. Just as suddenly, he recoiled as if he had been savagely burned. "I'm sorry!" He panicked. "I forgot about…"

She shrugged and briskly walked away, not letting him voice the obvious. Why do people still think she's incapacitated. 

She passed by a pair of girls in high school uniforms excitedly chattering.

"Did you hear? Inutaisho-sama's here?

"Sesshoumaru? The president of Westlands?!"

The girl nodded in reply. "Un. I heard Sakura-chan say she saw him."

"Sugoii~!!" the pair squealed and hurried away, still chattering.

Kagome thought about what she had just heard. Sesshoumaru was here? Could it be the same one as…? She almost snorted. It was probably just a coincidence.

"I've been watching you, Kikyo."

She whirled around, her heart thumping in alarm. Surprise pumped in her blood like adrenaline. "Se——!" Her leg gave out at that moment with her sudden movement, and she collapsed to the floor, her legs folding underneath her. She gripped her leg as it pulsed with pain, too much to just ignore.

The person who spoke looked down and looked faintly surprised. "You aren't Kikyo."

She cursed and looked up. "Damn right. Why does the cursed miko still haunt me!" she yelled through gritted teeth. "Damn it."

She painfully pushed herself up, testing the reliability of her leg. Satisfied that it wasn't going to collapse on her again she took a closer look at the guy who triggered the pain attack in the first place.

Sesshoumaru was almost unchanged. His eyes still held absolutely no warmth or emotion and he was still tall, feminine, and handsome as sin. He also still had white hair, although he had cut it short. It was almost a shame. 

She began to notice that they were attracting some stares as they were not speaking but staring at each other silently. She bit her lip and fidgeted. What to say? It didn't seem likely that Sesshoumaru would speak anytime soon. So, she bowed slightly and politely excused herself.

He didn't reply, so she walked away. Only when she got home did she notice that he hadn't reacted at the sight of her scarred face. Nothing out of ordinary, she thought. She doubted he reacted much to anything.

Just about the same time as that revelation struck her another soon followed. Her bow. She had dropped it when she bumped into Sesshoumaru and, for the life of her, she couldn't remember picking it up again.

She grabbed a pillow to muffle her scream.

* * *

Of all the bloody people to run into, he runs into Kagome. And of all the bloody people to mistake her for, he mistakes her for the dead miko. Why the bloody hell couldn't he remember that the stupid miko had been dead for bloody centuries!

He sighed. He wholeheartedly agreed with Kagome's sentiments. _'Why does that cursed miko still haunt me?!'_ Or him. Same difference. 

He had no idea.

But what he _did_ know, was that Kagome had matured into a beautiful woman, if a bit reserved and cold. And, he snarled to himself, just his luck that Inuyasha had been reincarnated twenty-two bloody years ago. Kami was clearly not looking down on him with favor.

If he was _really_ unlucky, Naraku would be reincarnated too. So far so good. No Naraku. That he knew of.

He stared at the bow he had set on his table, and wondered what he was going to do with it. Gently running his hand over the wood, he recalled the graceful girl who had used it. He had stopped to watch the final round and could not believe that such a small girl could pull such a large bow. Not that her age had anything to do with it. That was before he had known it was Kagome. Had he known, he would not have been so surprised.

Thinking about her brought back memories of long ago. He had respected her, in a way, for her courage and her undying…drive to reach her goals. But, why she had continued to stay with his worthless half-brother was beyond him.

He viciously dug into the wood of her bow with his nails. She was his. She was his the day Inuyasha failed his duty and _he_, Sesshoumaru, saved her life.

He removed his fingers from the mauled wood and gently smoothed the gouges. 

She just didn't realize it.

He had heard that Kagome had been asking around for her bow. He absently tapped a finger on the table. Perhaps it was time to find her and return it. His lips widened slightly in what could only be called a smirk. 

The hunt was on.

* * *

There were seldom times when she felt like screaming until lungs exploded. But this was one of them.

She fixed the boy in front of her with a glare. "Are you _sure_ the blond man picked it up?"

The boy shivered as she looked up into her eyes. Her very angry eyes. The ice-cold fury radiated from them, sending chills up his spine. He nodded quickly as if he knew that his tongue was too scared to move.

She stared at him for a moment longer as if looked to see if he was telling the truth. He really believed she could, too. The way she was staring at him…as if she could see all the untruths and white lies he's ever told in his short life. Then, she huffed out of impatience and turned sharply on her heel to stalk away.

He let go a breath he had no idea he had been holding.

"Feisty, isn't she,"

The boy looked up in surprise at the man standing next to him. He looked off after the departing girl with intense purple eyes. The boy violently shook his head.

The man chuckled with humor. "Oh, but she is. Feisty wench." He turned to grin winningly at the boy and he walked off, a swagger quite noticeable. The boy watched as the wind ruffled through the man's black hair, and for a split second, he looked so heroic, so picturesque, like a character straight from a fairy tale. Then the image disappeared and the man returned to his earthly image.

The boy couldn't believe it. The whole day must have been a dream. He shook his head and walked away. An ice cream would be nice.

No one noticed Sesshoumaru standing there, off to the side. His face was hidden in the shadows. A girl looked curiously at him as she walked by, and flinched at the angry expression on his face. She didn't think she did anything wrong. When he noticed her, the expression vanished, smoothed away. He gave her a curt nod, and stalked away. She noticed the wooden bow clenched tightly in his hands and thanked god that she wasn't it.

* * *

He couldn't believe it. All his precautions, all his plans. All in vain. Dashed to ground with one fell swoop. Fury pumped in his blood. Why?! Why must that imbecile ruin _everything_?! 

He threw open his door, the hinges shattering. Hurling the bow to the floor, he stalked to his liquor cabinet. After downing a quick shot of brandy, the fire burning a path down to his stomach, he set the glass down with a soft clink. It didn't matter now. His plans were already in tatters. He would just have to devise a new one. One that would, unfortunately, include his idiotic brother, who obviously needed to be taught a lesson.

He smiled as the thought expanded in his head. Oh, yes. A lesson was in hand.

* * *

**Yosh…I really liked this story line when I thought of it, and I still do. ^_^ But it's such a pain to write…I keep on forgetting how hard writing a whole story is…T.T And I have three going on at the same time…I have got to get a life. **

**This story and the other one is both placed in modern times…but the next story is going to take place in feudal ages. *nods again*.**

Yup…and go check out my other story… "Thy name is Death" *nods* And REVIEW~!!! 

Over and Out. Kai.


	2. Chapter Two

**F A I T H F U L ~ I N N O C E N C E**

**Author: taiyoukai-kai**

**This is not the sequel to my last fanfic "Fukai Mori: Darkness" but, I hope you enjoy it just as much. **

**Comments: I realize for those that have read my previous stories, my writing style has not changed much. So if you feel that you are reading the same lame story over and over again, I apologize. I'm sure my improvement is a very gradual one… Also in case I never make it clear, this story takes place in the year 2010, when technology is advanced but there aren't exactly any flying cars yet.**

**Disclaimer: Fear his claws…because I don't own him. Characters © Rumiko Takahashi. **

**Summary: Years after Kagome left the Feudal Era, she never expects have anything but memories left. But tragedy strikes, and she's had to live a life of sorrow and betrayal. Now, a new development threatens her very sanity. Again. [Sess/Kag]**

**Chapter Two...:**

Kagome looked down at the small piece of paper in her hand. Then she looked up at the gate in front of her. Well, this was the place. But now that she was here, she began to have doubts. Sesshoumaru had always been distant and reserved. Particularly condescending toward humans. And she wasn't sure whether she wanted to face that again.

However, she then thought about her bow. It wasn't special or anyhow unique. It was just she didn't exactly want to go through the process of breaking in a new one. She expelled a deep breath and gathered her courage up.

She pressed the doorbell and waited. After a few moments, a male voice responded over the intercom speaker. "Yes?"

She nervously cleared her throat. "Hn, yes. Um, I'm here to see Sesshoumaru-sama."

The voice crackled for a moment. "What is your name?"

"Higurashi. Higurashi Kagome."

"Just a moment." The intercom clicked off and left her waiting.

She fidgeted as she waited. She was just about to leave when the intercom crackled on again. "Sesshoumaru-sama will see you." The gate gave a loud click and it began to smoothly swing open. She hesitated for a moment before steeling herself, advancing across the yard with her back ramrod straight. At least she thought it was a yard. It could have easily been a golf course. It was that huge, full of lush green grass and bright flowers. Who on earth would want to live in such a large but strangely empty place?

"It give me solitude."

She whirled around and saw who it was. She glared at him. "_Must_ you always do that?"

He glanced at her and shrugged elegantly. "Of course." He walked over to a stone bench, shaded by a weeping willow. "Sit down." He gracefully extended a hand to her.

She cautiously gave him her hand and he grasped it softly, gently tugging her to the bench. When she was comfortably seated and him next to her, she stared off into the garden. "You have my bow."

Sesshoumaru also stared off into the flowers. "Do I?"

She didn't reply. They both quietly watched the scenery. 

After a few moments, Sesshoumaru spoke up, thoughtfully. "I should not return it to you."

Kagome glanced at him. "Why not?"

He reached a slender arm and grasped a drooping willow branch, gently playing with it. "It is harmful to your health."

She looked at him sharply, but he ignored it. The leaves rustled overhead with his tugging.

She searched his face. "Why do you care?" She snapped. Sesshoumaru let go of the branch and it slowly swung back to its place, undamaged.

"I do not."

He abruptly stood and strode away toward the house.

"Where is Rin-chan?" She called out to him and saw his stride falter, but he quickly recovered.

"She was a human in dangerous times. I trust you to remember that."

* * *

He could feel her stare boring into his back. It did not matter to him what she thought. The years had taken a toll on him. At first it had surprised him when he felt disgusted at all the heedless deaths of youkais and humans alike.

Whenever he walked out, he could smell the stink of burning bodies and rotting flesh. It had gotten to a point when he could not stand it anymore.

He watched as time wore on, and humans begin to conquer over youkais with their new weapon. New technology. The youkais were content to stay as they were, and did not change with the times, eventually leading to their demise. Except for the few like him, who watched all this with a detached and distant eye. Always knowing that they would be brought low and forced to assume a human guise, discarding their youkai features. But never their power. They would never relinquish their power.

He felt her pad up to catch up to him.

Youkais no longer ruled over the world. Humans did. And it rankled him to no end.

"Sometimes I wish youkais still dominated the world." Kagome commented as if she read his mind. He looked at her, surprise faint on his face.

"Why?"

Kagome just shrugged. "At least everything made sense. Now, we _humans_," she spat out the term as if it was a curse. "We cannot be content with what we already have. We can't leave nature as it was, and has been for thousands of years, way before we even existed. Now, when you pass a rose bush, you can't be certain if it is a pure rose, naturally born and raised, or something bio-genetically altered to last longer and look prettier. Everything is so false now." She shook her head. "We even alter human genetics to become stronger and immune to disease." [A/N: Pay attention to this statement. It becomes _very_ relevant later on.]

"Is that not good?" he asked, curious at her sudden change. This was a side of her he never saw before.

"Good?" she scoffed. "No, it isn't. We do it to _survive_, but we have survived so successfully, we have pushed everything else to extinction. There is no balance. Just humans. What humans want, humans get."

"You are human." He pointed out.

She smiled coldly. "Am I? Sometimes, I'm not so sure."

He was startled. Kagome, not human? "Of course you are, you cannot change that."

She laughed bitterly. "You would be surprised. No, I'm not human. I'm a guinea pig. One that will never be set free." [A/N: again, another very relevant piece of the puzzle..store it in the back of your head.]

He stopped in his tracks and turned her around to face him. Gently, he traced the scar running down her cheek. "How?"

She didn't pretend to misunderstand. Instead, she swatted his hand away. "I want my bow." She stared past him, never looking at him.

He shrugged, dropping the subject. He walked with her into the house.

* * *

She couldn't bear it. The pain tore at her mind, making her insane. 

"You are nothing. You are less than nothing. You do not even exist." The voice taunted her. 

Please, she moaned. Make it stop.

"You are only something because I wish it."

The pain intensified, but she couldn't move. Couldn't get away. She couldn't speak, couldn't breathe.

"Without me, you are dirt, fit only to grind beneath the feet."

Make it stop. Soon even her mind shut down. Nothing existed except the pain. There was nothing but the pain. Nothing. 

Except for her torturer.

He would always exist. He was always there and always will be, for all eternity. Laughing at her. Taunting her. 

Hurting her.

"You should thank me. I gave you a mind. I gave you a soul."

No, no. I had a soul.

"No."

Its true…

The pain pulsed within her, reminding her who's in charge.

"What were you then, before I found you?"

…don't remember…

"What were you before I taught you to feel?"

…don't…remember…

"You were nothing. A speck of dust drifting through existence. You were Nothing."

No!

The horrible voice laughed, making her shudder, whether because of the pain or the evil that resonated in his voice, she did not know.

"You stupid thing. After all I've done for you. You are still stupid. But soon, my little nothing, you will awaken and see yourself for who you were…you were…"

No, no, no, no, no.

The voice roared with glee. [OMG…this is corny…]

* * *

Sesshoumaru waited patiently for the man to speak. The man had hesitantly walked in five minutes ago and nothing has happened ever since.

He silently tapped his fingers on his desktop. Inside, he was fuming. He seemed to be doing that a lot recently. First Inuyasha's reincarnation. Then Inuyasha's ill-timed arrival, disrupting all his plans. Now, he had not idea why this man was here.

"It is Naraku, isn't it." He asked sharply.

The man trembled. He had known he shouldn't have taken this job, but the pay had been too good to pass. Now, he had bad news, and he wondered if it was worth it. After all, it wasn't all that uncommon among the higher classes of society to kill the messenger of ill new.

Sesshoumaru began to get tired of waiting. "What is the news you bring?"

The man flinched at the hard edge in his voice. The fear managed to abate enough to allow him some semblance of speech. "Naraku, sir, has been reincarnated."

Sesshoumaru rubbed tiredly at his eyes. Kami definitely was not looking down at him with favor. "How long ago?"

The man's eyes shifted, his fear palpable in the heavy silence. "Almost thirty years ago."

"Then why the bloody hell did it take you so long to locate him?!"

"No one expected him to be reincarnated as Higurashi-san's brother, sir."

"The Sota child is Naraku?"

"No, sir."

Sesshoumaru waited, but the man didn't reply. "Are you going to explain, or must I drag it out of you, you imbecile?"

The man started. "Oh." He cleared his throat nervously. "It appears that Kagome's mother had an affair when she was younger and got pregnant. She gave the child up for adoption, but she never named the father."

"She is dead, I presume?"

The man looked puzzled. "Who?"

Sesshoumaru couldn't believe the stupidity of the man. How in the world did he become his investigator? "Higurashi's mother. Keep up with the conversation if you would."

"Oh, yes." The man said, obviously flustered.

Sesshoumaru felt like giving the man a smack across the head to shake the cobwebs out of it. A thought suddenly occurred to him and he leaned over the desk. "Do you, by any chance, have a wife and children?"

The man was clearly surprised at the turn of events. "Yes sir. Two wives and a children." Hearing what he said, he blushed. "I mean a wife and two children."

So, he was correct. "I am a reasonable man." He eyed the man. "I will not go after them in the off chance that I get displeased with your services. You have my word. But I pay you extremely well, so I expect a certain level of work. I will not tolerate laziness and stupidity." He fixed the man with a cold glare, a small remnant of his time in the Feudal Era. "Is that understood?"

The man's Adam's-apple bobbled up and down. "Y-yes, sir."

Sesshoumaru nodded sharply and leaned back in his chair. "For now, follow Higurashi-san. Report who she talks to and where she goes." He dismissed the man with his head. "That is all."

"Uh, sir? If she's in trouble…should I intervene?"

Sesshoumaru's lips thinned at the thought of Kagome in trouble. "Yes, but keep in mind her safety at all times. If she is harmed because of your ineptness and stupidity," he smiled coldly. "You will pay with your soul." 

* * *

I just wanted to say sorry for all the lousy update times. I hate typing…so I postpone it until the guilt becomes unbearable. Really..I'm that lame.

Anyway, the first four chapters of this story was actually written before the more recent story I have "THY NAME IS DEATH" even became an idea [Go check it out ^.~] . I stopped because I couldn't see where it was going..but after starting the other story..I finally found a way to continue it. Too bad..I have another idea in my head..and its waiting to bust out..

But I can't do that..three stories?! At once?! No way. Too unfair to you guys.

Over and Out. Kai.


	3. Chapter Three

**F A I T H F U L ~ I N N O C E N C E**

**Author: taiyoukai-kai**

**This is not the sequel to my last fanfic "Fukai Mori: Darkness" but, I hope you enjoy it just as much. **

**Comments: My other fic is a flop…no one likes it…so..I'll stop it..for a while..and concentrate on this one..its so sad..Anyway..don't forget to review..and thank you to all those that did already. I'm really grateful..^_^ And if you like anime art..go ahead and visit my deviantart site..at… www.taiyoukai-kai.deviantart.com .. yup yup..how lame.**

**Disclaimer: Fear his claws…because I don't own him. Characters © Rumiko Takahashi. **

**Summary: Years after Kagome left the Feudal Era, she never expects have anything but memories left. But tragedy strikes, and she's had to live a life of sorrow and betrayal. Now, a new development threatens her very sanity. Again. [Sess/Kag]**

**Chapter Three...:**

"She screams, sir. At night." The man lounged in a chair across from Sesshoumaru. He had been watching Higurashi-san for several weeks now and had long since learned that although Sesshoumaru may be a cold, unfeeling bastard at times, he was always fair. 

"In her sleep?"

The man understood the hidden question. "Yes, sir. She hasn't been in any trouble. Not yet."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow and spoke softly, steel hidden by velvet. "You expect she will?"

"Weeell…" the man drew the word out, his brain looking for the right words. "There's been…some people trailing her. And," he shrugged. "She ain't exactly got pleasant dreams. You should hear her scream. First time I did, I almost ran in there with my gun out. She fair frightened me out my wits all right."

"She feels fear in these dreams?" Sesshoumaru needed to know. Kagome was a frightfully powerful miko, if a bit unorthodox, and it was entirely possible her dreams foreshadowed something.

"No, sir. Not fear. More like," he hesitated. "More like pain." He scratched his head. "Something is always seeming to hurt her in her dreams, but it doesn't seem she's exactly _afraid_ of it."

* * *

Kagome couldn't get rid of the image in her head. Blood, splattered everywhere. That was it. For some reason, it was just there, running through her head. She assumed it was an aftereffect of the nightmare she had last night.

It had been the kind of nightmare where you couldn't remember it once you woke up, but you knew you had one by the lingering sense of fear. And it seemed she'd been having one for awhile.

The thought chilled her. That, and the stupid image in her head that wouldn't leave her alone!

She cursed underneath her breath and leaned back in her chair. Who was she kidding? The blood wasn't the only thing plaguing her. Who would have thought her old nemesis occupied all her thoughts nowadays.

It had surprised her the last time she saw him that he had changed. Not that he wasn't the same emotionless, all-good-mortals-are-dead-mortals freak. He was. It just seemed to her that he was more mellow. More toned down in the "Killing is my life" department.

She sighed and rested her head on the table, weariness weighing down her bones. She was so tired. Sometimes, she longed for the days where she spent in the Feudal Era. Sometimes…

She longed for peace.

* * *

~flashback~

"INUYASHA!!" she stamped her foot impatiently. "You're not paying attention!"

Inuyasha folded his arms and looked arrogantly away. "Che. Why should I listen to you, wench?"

Kagome was tempted to growl. "Because if you don't, you might as well give the Shikon no Tama to Naraku."

Inuyasha dropped his air of nonchalance and glared at her. "Don't you dare!"

She rolled her eyes and shouted, "Sit!"

"WTF——!! What was that for?!"

"I didn't say I was going to do it. If you listened to me you would know that!" she huffed.

"And why, dear girl, should a fine young hanyou listen to you?"

Kagome gasped in alarm at the new voice, but Inuyasha already knew who it was. He pushed her behind him and drew out the Tetsusaiga. "What do you want, Naraku!" he snarled.

"Tsk. And here I was defending you to the gel. How ungrateful." Naraku smiled, for once not appearing with his baboon pelt.

"I asked you a question!" Inuyasha yelled.

Naraku mockingly tilted his head in a clueless fashion. "Did you?" he laughed, his voice grating on everybody's hearing. "Ha, it doesn't matter. I brought you a little gift, hanyou." Naraku held up a finger and out of the shadows, Kikyo stepped out her bow up and armed.

"Call it, a farewell gift." Naraku laughed and turned his back on the group. "Whenever you feel ready, dear."

Kikyo's blank eyes didn't even blink in response.

"No."

Naraku lifted his eyebrows in surprise and slowly turned around to look at Kagome. "No? What exactly are you saying no to?"

"No, you can't kill us." Kagome stepped out from behind Inuyasha, her back rigid and her chin high. "I won't let you." She ignored Inuyasha's attempts to shush her.

"You won't let me?" Naraku narrowed his eyes at her. "And how, pray tell, are you going to stop me?" When he saw her hesitate, he laughed. "Oh, and here I thought that maybe you could make your deaths that much more fun. But, alas," Naraku smiled. "I guess it is just not to be."

This time, he strode away without a glance back, without stopping, so that no one saw or detected the triumphant smile that had marred his face. Finally, those two would never bother him again.

Kagome watched as Kikyo lowered her bow and began to walk towards them.

"Kikyo…" 

Kagome whirled to stare at Inuyasha, who had spoken Kikyo's name in such a reverent tone. Even with the evidence of Kiyo's betrayal staring him in the face, she couldn't believe that he still didn't get it. How could he still be faithful to the girl who wants him dead?

"Inuyasha…" Kikyo dropped her bow and held her hand out toward Inuyasha. "Inuyasha…"

Helplessly, Kagome watched as Inuyasha stepped away from her and toward her predecessor, Kikyo. "Inuyasha!"

He totally ignored her. 

She hated it. The feeling of helplessness. The total inability to do anything. Why?! She couldn't stand not doing anything as she watched the two embrace. "No! Inuyasha…!" She ran to them, ready to tear them apart, but before she could reach them, an arm caught her at the waist. Giving her no time to react, it pulled her well away from the pair, against a hard body. As her feet once more touched the ground some distance away, she turned around, fully prepared to berate the offender. 

However, who she way made her pause.

"Sesshoumaru?" Her exclamation was no more than a whisper. She could count on one hand the number of times she's been this close to him, and at all those instances he had been trying to kill her. But she didn't have the time to reflect on the past. A sudden explosion rocked the ground beneath her feet and a firework of lights flashed around her. 

Before she could turn around to see what was happening, Sesshoumaru pressed her from satisfying her morbid curiosity.

"Ignorant is bliss…"

She heard him but knew deep in her heart, she wasn't ignorant. And she couldn't stop the tears from coming and she buried her sobs in his shoulder.

~End Flashback~

* * *

Kagome gently shook herself, trying to shake off the remnants of her memories. She could almost still feel the cloth of Sesshoumaru's clothing, could almost still smell him, although back then her nose was certainly not as acute as it was now.

She sniffed and to her surprise, discovered that she had been crying. Briskly wiping the wetness away, she noticed a slow curling line of smoke outside her window.

* * *

Sesshoumaru looked up from his work to the PI he hired. Noticing the bruises on his face and the bandaged nose, he folded his hand behind his head and sighed. "Run into a pole?"

The man hissed in pain when he grimaced. "No. A door." He took a seat across from Sesshoumaru. "Your woman sure is vicious. Didn't even give me a chance to explain why I was outside her window. Just came at me, her fists aswingin'." He gingerly touched his nose. "First time someone broke my nose."

Sesshoumaru's hooded eyes shielded the amusement that sparked within them. "So why were you outside her window?"

The man grimaced again. "You told me to watch her, didn't you?" he said defensively. Then his voice dropped to a mutter. "Just remind me never to smoke again. I'm quitting. Never smoking again."

Sesshoumaru almost grinned. "What other news?"

The man blinked in confusion before recollecting his thoughts. "Oh, nothing. Everything's been quiet. Except that crazy woman." He said underneath his breath. "Do you know she has nails as sharp as knives? She clawed me good." He rolled up his shirt sleeve to show the scratches on his upper arms. "Burned like a bitch when she gave it to me, and it hasn't stopped since. Like salt's been rubbed in, I say."

Sesshoumaru froze. Those nail marks on the man's arms looked vaguely familiar. He rose from his chair and approached him. As soon as he was close enough, he ran a finger over the deep wounds.

The man jerked in pain. "Hey! Watch it." Then he noticed Sesshoumaru's fingers. "Hey…you know, her nails looked a lot like yours. There is such a thing as nail clippers. Jeez. What's wrong with you people?! That's dangerous you know? Having sharp nails. What on earth does sharp nails do for you?

Sesshoumaru let the man continue complaining as he sorted through the new information. That was why those wounds looked so familiar. It had been so long since he seriously hurt somebody, so recognizing claw marks that looked similar to him wasn't an immediate response. Also, usually he just obliterated the prey. No use looking for claw marks in a puddle of flesh and gore. 

But why would Kagome's nails wound somebody as seriously as this? If he guessed correctly, it even had a bit of the same poison acid he used.

He quickly strode back around his desk, took out a small vial, and gave it to the man. "Here, use this on your wound. It should stop the burning."

If he guessed correctly, then it should because it was an antidote to his own poison. 

The man gripped the vial and nodded his thanks.

"But never let anybody get a hold of it. As soon as you use it, return the vial immediately. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" the man saluted sharply and grinned. "Right away, sir!"

Sesshoumaru waved a hand at him, dismissing him. "Continue watching her. If she attacks you again, use my name."

The man bowed and walked out, whistling, leaving Sesshoumaru to his troubled thoughts. He could only hope his name was enough to deter her…and hope that it didn't incite her either.

* * *

Mmm..the plot thickens. What is Kagome hiding? What does Sesshoumaru do? Stay tuned, and you'll find out on the next fanfiction chapter of "FAITHFUL INNOCENCE".

^__^ Woohoo…my very own first third FF series ever. :P Can it get any more exciting…?

For those that have read my first one, I apologize for the lack of variety in my writing style...I'm trying.

Also.. my other ongoing series "THY NAME IS DEATH" is on hold until further notice. The lack of enthusiasm on the part of the readers have seriously deteriorated my urge to write more…so until I get super super bored..it's officially cut. I will post one more chapter just to make sure its really dead..but I'm getting super lazy..and it'll take awhile…just look at this fic..its been what? Four months now…shame on me.. tsk..

^_^ Over and Out. Kai.


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